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“It looks like a slum and stands out like a sore thumb so it will be great news if it is demolished, it desperately needs to happen.

“If there was a small block of flats, a new restaurant or even if it was just turned into a small bit of green space then that would be nicer for the area. It would just be nice for everyone if this blight was removed.”

Network Rail applied for the demolition order in March and after a public consultation period throughout April and May, it was approved by Croydon Council in June but no new plans for the site have so far been submitted.

Simon Cripps, chair of the Purley Business Association and chief executive of the Purley BID team, approached Network Rail nearly two years ago about doing something with the site and putting artwork on its walls to make it look better.

(Left to right) Councillor Simon Brew, Mike Lott and Councillor Badsha Quadir in front of the former restaurant (Image: David Cook)

He said: “It’s an ugly site, we want to make it look pretty like other buildings, even those with boards up.

“It’s an awful welcome for those coming into Purley and an appalling blight. We’ve been looking for the owners of the site to do something for a long time and we’ve chased and chased Network Rail.

“While it’s a big thing for Purley its small for Network Rail and they seemed to be unaware they even owned the site when we spoke to them at first. We finally got a response when [local councillor] Steve O’Connell got involved but it’s still been a lot longer than we hoped.”

The restaurant has been empty since its owners were fined £4,500 for three breaches of food hygiene regulations in October 2010.

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It was closed immediately after the routine inspection and the couple pleaded guilty to the charges in June 2011.

It had been found to be mouse-infested with droppings littering the restaurant.

Trading Standards officers found rodent faeces strewn across work surfaces, inside cupboards, in food storage areas and on the kitchen floor.

Droppings were also found in the staff washroom and disgusting levels of grease and grime were discovered in food preparation areas.

My Old China has been closed for nearly eight years (Image: David Cook)

Then a massive £100,000 cannabis farm was uncovered after a drugs bust by police on the site in April 2016.

Fifteen officers swooped on the address after receiving a tip-off that drugs were being grown at the premises.

Jeff Hunt, 75, of Grovelands Road, who is on the Purley and Woodcote Residents' Association committee, said: “I’ve been wondering why the council didn’t take it over, do something before or knock it down.

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“I remember going in there when it was a restaurant and thought it was OK. Why don’t they redevelop the site into a block of flats with retail shops on the ground floor?”

Councillor Simon Brew added: “People often ask but there hasn’t been very much we could do about it. I’ve been very unhappy it’s been in the state it’s in but all we could do was a compulsory purchase order which would take too long and cost too much for the council.”

A Croydon Council spokesman said: “An application for demolition was processed in May, and no concerns were raised prior to approval. No planning applications have been received.”

Network Rail has been approached for a comment on when it intends to carry out the demolition.